Second Chances
by Anawey
Summary: If Iroh had died in that abandoned town, and Zuko went with the gAang.
1. Chapter 1

Second Chance

What if Azula had killed Iroh that time in the abandoned village? Seeing that the young prince has nowhere else to go, Aang invites him to come with them. Many new adventures await Zuko now joined with the gAang. What will happen to them all?

Disclaimer; Avatar is not mine. I think that's enough.

Change of course  
XxX

_"NOO!!" _Zuko flung himself down beside Iroh, who lay still and pale on the ground, dead. Azula hadn't missed.

"Zuko, I -" Katara's voice was soft, and sad.

"Get away from us!" Zuko snarled. Suddenly, the smaller girl with the black hair was in his face, snarling and growling.

"Don't you get it, idiot?! He's _dead. _You stay here, you die, too! Is that what he would want?! You, dead?!" Zuko turned furious narrow golden eyes on her, hatred and pain and fear and despair like _fire _on his face and in his eyes.

"GET AWAY!!" the banished prince roared, flame igniting in his palm.

"NO!"

Everyone turned at the sound of the voice to see Aang standing there. His eyes were narrow, and filled with tears. "Enough." His voice was firm, commanding, and his arrows glowed brightly, so much so that even Zuko was scared. "Iroh would have wanted you to come with us. Would you willingly deny him that? Would you rather his death be in vain?" His tone turned gentler as he moved to stand next to the older teen. "Your sister will pay. I promise. Come with us, and you won't be alone."

Zuko hesitated. _Go with the Avatar? After all I've done? _He looked around at their faces; the girl with the black hair's neutral, blank stare - _what? Is she BLIND? - _the waterbender's sympathetic expression, looking like she wanted so badly to go to him, because now they shared the death of someone they loved so dearly, the Avatar's expectant face, his eyes and arrows still glowing, and lastly, the water tribe boy, staring in blatant shock at the Avatar.

"Aang, you can't - you don't - "

"I can, and I _do," _the Avatar growled, slowly fading from the Avatar state, back to his normal self. Zuko watched the waterbender run forward, and catch him, holding the boy up off the ground so he wouldn't fall. Everyone was looking at him, waiting for his reaction. The banished - and now famililess - prince hung his head, blinking rapidly to dispel his tears.

"I'll come with you," he whispered, his voice quiet and low, almost broken. Then his head raised, and his entire expression changed to one of fiery hatred and determination. "Azula will rue the day she was born," he growled. Aang smiled, and extended his hand to the prince.

"Let's go then," he smiled. "I'm Aang, in case you didn't know. That's Katara, Toph, and Sokka." A furry lemur suddenly popped up from behind Aang's head, and chirped. "And this is Momo." Ang smiled half-heartedly as Zuko quickly swiped his hand across his face, frowning slightly. He _hated _crying, but now was an exception. His uncle was dead, and his life would never be the same. "You'll meet Appa back at camp," Aang continued, motioning for Zuko to follow.

They had barely made it back to camp when Zuko began to feel strange. On the way back, he'd decided to try to make a new life with these guys, be the one to teach the Avatar firebending, to destroy his father and his murderous sister. Now, as he made his way toward the giant flying bison known as Appa, he felt light-headed, and almost nauseous.

"Zuko, are you okay? You're looking a little pale," Katara worried, looking back at him from Appa's sadle. Toph, who was standing behind Zuko shifted her feet, and her blind eyes went wide.

"Uh, guys, you might want to get down here, he's gonna -"

With a faint groan, Zuko swayed, and collapsed on the ground, unconscious.

"-pass out," Toph finished in a deadpan. Katara and Aang immediately jumped down to help Toph get Zuko onto the bison, where Katara fished through her pack, and pulled out her sleeping bag for him. Pressing her hand to his forehead, the waterbender found it unbelievably warm.

"He's sick," she muttered, hissing with worry and concern. Katara bent water from her pouch, allowing it to cover her hands, and brought them to the side of his head. Not finding any cause of his illness there, she moved on to his chest. It was there she found the first signs of problems. Something was blocking her water, but it wasn't physical. _The Heart Chakra, _she realized, frowning. _It must have closed when Azula killed Iroh. _"Guys, we have a problem," Katara stated.

"No kidding," Toph muttered as she watched Zuko from her place next to Katara.

"We need to get him to someplace safe, where he'll have time to heal, and get better," Katara mused, taking a cloth from her bag. She wet it with her bending and placed it on Zuko's forehead. "Also," she muttered darkly, looking around at the others in Appa's saddle, "I think this may have to do with what Azula did to his uncle. His heart chakra's blocked off, and I'm not so sure I know how to heal that."

"Katara," Aang said gently, coming to sit next to her. "I'm sure Zuko will be fine. He's probably just sick from wandering around in the hot sun for days until we met up."

"And he's been alone most of the time," Toph added, an underlying sadness clear in her voice.

"How did you know that?" Sokka asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"When I left you guys," Toph began, her voice slightly choked and sad, "I met his uncle in the woods. He said that he'd been following Zuko because he was kind of lost. I guess he meant mentally and physically."

A weak groan brought everyone's attention to the sick firebender in Katara's sleeping bag. Slowly, Zuko's eyes opened, and he saw the worried faces of the Avatar and his friends looking down at him.

"It's okay, Zuko," the waterbender - _Katara, _Zuko reminded himself, _her name's Katara. I'll be traveling with these guys, I should use their names -_ soothed, gently brushing a strand of damp black hair out of his face. "You're a bit sick, but -"

"'_A bit'?_" Sokka snorted. Katara threw him an icy glare, effectively shutting the boy up.

"Ka...tara..."

"Easy, Zuko," Katara whispered. "Just lie still. Do you know where you are?"

"A..ppa?" He could see the sky and clouds going by above them, and Katara's braid was blowing as though there was a breeze, and he could feel it too, at once blissfully cooling, and painfully chilling.

"That's good," the waterbender smiled.

"Katara...?"

"What is it, Zuko?" The firebender coughed hoarsely. He'd never felt so dry.

"...thirsty..." he muttered, wishing he didn't have to be a liability. Katara's eyes, already gentle and concerned, softened even more, and she pressed her water skin to his lips.

"Drink slowly, Zuko," she instructed. "From the look of it, you haven't had much water lately. Too much at once won't be good. Just slow, small sips." She held his head up so he could swallow without the risk of choking on the cool liquid. He smiled weakly in thanks when he was done, and Katara let him lay back down in her sleeping bag. He coughed again as he fell asleep.

The minute Zuko's breathing evened out, Sokka glared from Katara to Aang and back.

"Seriously," he growled. "He's _not _staying with us."

"Sokka, where else can he go?" Katara demanded in a quiet voice. She didn't want Zuko to be woken up.

"Katara's right, Sokka," Aang agreed. "He has no reason to hunt me anymore, or follow that freaky girl. Apparently, she's his relative."

"How'd you know that?" Toph asked, looking in the airbender's direction.

"She said something about family resemblance, then covered her left eye with her hand, and mimicked Zuko," the Avatar elaborated. "'I must capture the Avatar to restore my honor', she said."

"That doesn't matter at all, Aang," Sokka snapped. "What matters is where we're going to leave him."

"We're _not _leaving him, Sokka," Katara cut in angrily, her hands on her hips. "He's sick. He needs care. How can you be so cold as to just let him off somewhere and let him die?!"

"Have you forgotten who chased us all around the world?" Sokka cried. Toph clapped her hand over his mouth.

"Quiet, Snoozles!" she hissed. "if you wake Zuko up, you'll be feeling the consequences for a month!"

"He's _not _staying," Sokka growled, having finally gotten his mouth out from behind Toph's hand.

"He _has _to, Sokka," Aang replied. "I told him he could."

"You _didn't _mean that Aang."

"Yes," the Avatar countered, his voice growing angry, "I _did. _And we're changing course. We'll go straight to the Misty Palms Oasis. A hundred years ago it was a great place. They had some pretty good healers back then. Earthbending'll have to wait, Toph. Zuko comes first."

"I hear ya," Toph accepted. Sokka sighed in defeat.

"Fine," he acquiesced. "But only until we reach this 'oasis', place. We'll leave him with there with the healers."

"Are you _deaf?" _Toph demanded in a quiet hiss. "We _aren't _leaving him _anywhere. _He's coming with us."

"No, he's not!"

"Forget it, Sokka, you're out voted." Sokka scowled at Katara.

"Have you forgotten what he's done, Katara?" her brother reminded. "He attacked out tribe, kidnapped Aang, _stole _your necklace, and attacked the North Pole. He's not one of us."

"He is now, and that's it." Aang said in a low, dangerous voice.

"Give it up Sokka," Katara implored angrily. "He stays."

Grumbling angrily, Sokka gave in and turned back into his corner of the saddle, pouting.

XxX  
Eh...yeah, this is how I always imagined it playing out if Uncle had died. Hope you guys like it. Review please!


	2. Chapter 2

Sorry it took so long to update this.

The Library  
XxX

Ang laughed nervously under Katara's raised eyebrow expression. They'd made it to the Misty Palms Oasis, but apparently, there hadn't been any healers there for nearly fifty years.

"Well, maybe we can find something in the tavern," Toph suggested. "Zuko looks like he could use something soft and juicy." Katara nodded in agreement.

"Right. Toph, Sokka, you guys go with Aang, and see if they've got anything for Zuko. I'll stay here to make sure he's okay." Sokka tensed, and his expression darkened.

"Oh, no!" he growled. "You are _not _staying alone with _him!"_

"Sokka, he's sick," Katara retorted angrily, her hands on her hips. "Too sick to even sit up on his own. How exactly could he attack me?"

"I tell you, he's faking it!" Sokka cried, throwing his hands up in exasperation. At that moment, a rough coughing fit sounded from Appa's saddle, and Katara glared at her brother.

"Does that sound like 'faking it', Sokka?" she demanded, storming past him and climbing up Appa's tail to see to Zuko.

Zuko coughed harshly, his body shaking with the force of the coughs. Katara helped him sit up, and offered her waterskin for him to drink from.

"Drink slowly, Zuko," the waterbender instructed gently. Zuko took careful sips, then leaned back in Katara's arms. Given his condition, Katara allowed the action, which, under any other circumstance, would not have happened to begin with.

"Wh-what...what's wrong with m-me?" he rasped, his face twisted into a pained frown as he coughed weakly.

"We don't know, Zuko," Katara said gently. "But I promise I'll take care of you. The others have gone to see if there's anything to help you. Maybe something soft that'd be easier to eat? You need lots of liquids, Zuko."

"'m fine..." Zuko muttered, trying to push himself up. He almost had it when his strength gave out, and he fell back, coughing again. Katara caught him before he hit the hard bottom of Appa's saddle, and laid him back down in the sleeping bag.

"No," she said firmly, pushing him back down when he tried to sit up again. "You're _not _fine. You're very sick, Zuko. Now please, rest."

Zuko would have argued, would have continued to fight her, but he just didn't have the strength. So he curled up on his side, and tried to sleep.

Katara sat at Zuko's side, waiting patiently for the others to return. A shout brought Katara's attention, and annoyance, to a man running out of one of the buildings ahead of Aang and the others.

"Sandbenders, shoo!" the man yelled. "Away from the bison!" The man stopped just at Appa's feet, and looked up into Katara's annoyed, raised-eyebrow gaze. "Oh, hello there. I'm Proffessor Zei, head of anthropology at Ba Sing Se University. I'm guessing you are one of the friends the Avatar mentioned was waiting for him."

"Hey Katara!" Aang called, smiling. "We got some moon peaches and melons for snacks." He held up the two sacks, and airbended himself up onto Appa's back. Once everyone else was on, the Avatar passed out the fruits. Katara gently shook Zuko's shoulder, and handed him a fruit, helping him sit up against the back of Appa's saddle. The firebender ate slowly, sitting with everyone else in the silence, until Zei noticed something, and then scurried over to him.

"And what's your name? Are you a firebender?" he asked, then rolled his eyes and laughed. "Of course you are, how silly of me. After all, no other race has _gold _eyes! Tell me, have you mastered lightning yet? Oh! But if you're a firebender, why are you with the Avatar? Did you desert? Are you a fugitive on a mission to help restore peace?" Zei gasped and his eyes lit up. "Then you must know Jeong-jeong, the legendary deserter! Oh, this is -"

"Enough!" Katara snapped, annoyed by Zei's pestering. "Zuko's sick, leave him alone!"

"No, no, Zei," Sokka smirked from the front of the saddle. "Katara didn't mean that. Zuko's just tired. He's up for all the questions you want to ask!"

"Sokka, I _swear,_" Katara growled. "If you don't leave Zuko alone..."

"Guys," Aang palcated. "Enough. You're upsetting Zuko." The perceptive young Avatar looked to his new firebending teacher in sympathetic concern.

"I'm fine," Zuko grumbled, turing away and crossing his arms. Katara sighed and rolled her eyes. Zuko was really stubborn. She watched him silently finish his moon peach, and then, with effort, move away from the edge of the saddle, and lay back down, shivering and curling deeper into Katara's sleepingbag. It wasn't long before he was asleep.

"Is he okay?" Zei asked, pointing to Zuko.

"He's sick," Toph replied while Katara put another cold compress on Zuko's forehead. "Really sick."

Zei nodded, the look on his face more than enough of an apology for talking so much.

-

A few hours later, everyone was sitting around Appa's saddle, bored. Katara sat by Zuko, who'd woken up again, and was leaning against the back of the saddle.

"Why are we going to a library again?" Zuko asked no one in particular. Sokka glared over his shoulder at the firebender.

"Like we'd tell _you," _he growled. "You'd probably just return the news to the Fire Lord, and doom us all!"

"_Sokka!" _Katara snapped. "Zuko has no _reason _to go back to the Fire Nation after all they've done to him!"

"Then let _him _say it," Sokka retorted. His eyes narrowed further, and Zei continued looking from Zuko, to Sokka, to Katara.

Katara glared at her brother. Angry as she was that he would push Zuko when he was so sick, she understood to a degree. At heart, she really wanted to hear the prince say it, too; that he wanted nothing more to do with the Fire Nation.

"Sokka," Zuko hissed, not so much in anger as in pained annoyance. "If you're planning something that will stop Ozai, I want _in. _That was my _uncle _Azula killed. Azula, my _little sister, killed our uncle. _I'll do _anything _to stop her, _and _my father. It's _his _fault this all happened."

"Zuko?" Katara asked on seeing the pained expression on his face. She gently touched his shoulder, and he sighed defeatedly. _I'd have to tell them sooner or later, _he thought. _Might as well be now. Though... I'm so...tired._

Katara sighed when she noticed Zuko was sound asleep.

"Hey, there's the library!" Toph yelled, forgetting that Zuko was asleep. "Sorry," she muttered. The firebender shrugged, and looked around; everyone was looking over Appa's saddle. "That's what it'll sound like when one of you sees it," Toph deadpanned, reffering back to the library. Sokka glared at her, and shook his head.

"You do know she's blind, don't you?" Zuko asked. Sokka glared, about to throw out some nasty comment about Zuko's scar effecting his eyesight, but one look at Katara's withering stare, and he didn't dare.

"Hey, what's that?" Aang asked, pointing over to a tower rising out of the ground. Everyone looked in the direction Aang was pointing. Even Toph turned her blind eyes toward the Avatar's voice. Aang landed Appa, and everyone but Zuko, Katara and Toph jumped off.

"So, what's with the tower?" Zuko asked, sounding tired, and weak. Katara shrugged.

"Aang landed Appa for a _tower?" _Toph groaned. "We're trying to save the world, now isn't the time to go play 'rescue the helpless maiden caught by the dragon'."

"Guys," Aang called up. "It's that library Proffessor Zei mentioned. It's buried, but there's a window in the tower. Wanna check it out?"

Zuko shrugged. "Might help us defeat my father," he agreed. He started to sit up, his arms shaking, but Katara stopped him with a hand on his chest, and a concerned, gentle smile.

"You should stay," she said gently, pressing him back down.

"Then at least let me off the bison," Zuko grumbled, annoyed at being useless.

"I'll stay where I can see, thanks," Toph muttered, jumping down and sitting in the sand. Katara helped Zuko down, and let him lay down against Appa, still in her sleeping bag.

"Keep an eye on him, Toph," Katara said, then froze at the earthbender's sardonic look. "Well, you know what I mean." Toph nodded, and moved closer to Zuko so she could feel his vibrations through the sand. She leaned back against Appa, and crossed one ankle on her knee.

"So," she said casually as Aang earthbended them up to the window in the tower. "You're Prince Zuko."

Zuko scoffed, and looked away.

"Not any more."

"I'm sorry about your uncle," Toph stated quietly. "He..... he was really nice. He gave me tea, once. And really good advice."

Zuko nodded. "He was always good at that." The firebender coughed into his fist, and Toph held out a water bottle. He took it with a quiet nod of thanks, and after his drink, he closed his eyes, suddenly tired. When he opened his eyes again, he was being shoved away from the bison. With a yelp, he let out a weak stream of fire, aiming for the people trying to take Appa, but on his own, and sick, he couldn't really do anything. He looked for Toph, but she was struggling with the tower to do, well, something. When she turned and shot a wave of sand in the basic direction of the sandbenders, and the tower started sinking suddenly, he understood.

Struggling to his feet, Zuko aimed another blast at the sandbenders, but it fizzed out almost before it left his hands. One of the sandbenders shifted, and Zuko was suddenly stuck to his waist in the sand.

Toph turned from the tower one last time, but it was too late; the sandbenders were already leaving with Appa. She helped Zuko dig his way out, then sat, facing away as Aang, Katara, Sokka, and Momo jumped out the tower window just before it sank beneath the sand.

"Where's Appa?" Aang asked, looking from Toph to Zuko. Laying on his back, Zuko just closed his eyes, and Toph shook her head with a despairing little noise.

"No," Aang whispered, eyes wide. "_NO!"_

XxX  
Wow, I can't believe how long it's been since I updated this. I'm sorry, everyone. I hope you all liked this chapter. Review, please!


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